Rio Blanco County commissioners enact immediate hiring freeze, exceptions require commissioner approval

The Rio Blanco County Board of Commissioners voted to enact an immediate hiring freeze on all county employees, with any exceptions subject to approval by the commissioners and the motion set to run through the end of the year.

Commissioner Overton, Commissioner Scritchfield and Commissioner O'Hare voted aye on the motion after a brief discussion of how departments should handle vacant positions and requests to refill posts.

County staff said any vacancy created by resignation or separation must be justified with statistics and a presentation to the commissioners before the position can be refilled. A county staff member described the administrative path for such requests: department staff would bring justification to their supervising official, who would then present the request to the commissioners for approval.

The commissioners discussed tying the freeze to the 2026 budget process. Several participants said the freeze is intended to avoid layoffs at the start of 2026 and to give the county time to assess revenue and expense projections. One participant said the county is facing an “almost $600,000 increase in health insurance” costs and that revenue could also decline; those financial pressures were cited as the primary reasons for the freeze.

Commissioners and staff agreed that open positions could remain in the 2026 personnel tables during budget scrubs but that departments should be prepared to justify keeping positions funded when budgets are finalized. The board also discussed using supplemental or contingency funding if an essential need emerges before the budget is adopted.

The motion passed on a roll call vote: Commissioner Overton — aye; Commissioner Scritchfield — aye; Commissioner O'Hare — aye.

The board indicated it will reassess the hiring freeze as the county completes budget work for 2026 and as more detailed insurance and revenue information becomes available.